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Blog: NDT Global Interviews Technology Expert, Willem Vos 

How long have you been in the inline inspection (ILI) industry and what is your current position at NDT Global?

I joined the inline inspection industry in 2001, so it's been nearly 20 years. I'm currently the Head of Product Management and have been the organization for nearly five years.

Can you tell us about NDT Global's ART Scan™ tools?

What makes ART Scan tools unique in comparison to other inline inspection tools is that we can take real sub-millimeter ultrasound wall thickness readings of the gas pipelines. The only alternative way to inspect gas pipelines is through magnetic technologies; and while there is a place in the market for MFL, certain operators need more accurate means of inspecting their pipelines. With ART Scan ILI tools, operators receive a highly accurate, sub-millimeter reading of their pipelines as well as a high-precision geometry measurement. The technology ultimately saves operators costs on repairs, remediations, and production throughputs.

What makes the Acoustic Resonance Technology unique?

The ART differentiator is the accuracy and flexibility it provides to gas pipeline operators. For example, offshore gas transmission pipelines are often built with high wall thickness and pressure, making them challenging to inspect with traditional ILI equipment. With NDT Global's technology, these pipelines are quite low risk to inspect. More recently, we’ve also been inspecting a growing number of crude oil pipelines with ART Scan tools, especially offshore crude lines. We discovered that ART Scan ILI tools are much less sensitive to wax deposits on the pipe wall, in most cases we inspect right through the wax!

What do you enjoy about working closely with operators who turn to NDT Global to fulfill certain needs?

Often, our customers are keen on having various questions answered for them to feel confident in our technology and be able to progress with their decisions. I think what I enjoy the most is providing answers to these questions and fulfilling a need that is unique to a customer's vision.

Since the start of my career, I've enjoyed helping people understand the value of technology. My passion lies in helping others understand the value that is provided by in inline inspection innovation.

What core values do you incorporate into your day-to-day work?

Trust. My objective is to always try and be someone's trusted advisor. Trust grows slowly but when it's established, it serves as the most important factor to sustaining relationships. Whenever there is some sort of business transaction, it is trust you are selling. I use trust as an internal guide both in work and outside of work.

What is one piece of advice you can give to young professionals who are keen on having a career in inline inspection technology?

I would say make sure you keep on learning, keep challenging yourself to improve, and try to enjoy the ride.

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